This year marks the 40th anniversary of All I Really Need To Know I Learned in Kindergarten, a book of essays about life by Unitarian Universalist minister Robert Fulghum. While some of the lessons he shares – take a nap every afternoon comes to mind – may not be applicable to our lives as shopkeepers, the basic tenants do apply.

When we first start school we’re taught how to share, to put things back where we found them, and to clean up our own mess. It’s easy to see how important these rules are for retail employees. We need to set the expectation that each staff member will help whenever needed, share tools and knowledge, and work to keep the store clean and tidy. This of course applies to owners and managers as well.

Another key lesson is to be kind, and to apologize when you’ve done something that might hurt someone. We also were taught about the importance of playing fair – in this case to our employees, our customers and our vendors. Paying invoices on time was far from my mind when I was five years old, but I learned to treat others with respect and honesty. (Side note to kindergarten self – yes, you will need to know about numbers!)

Living a balanced life can be a challenge when you are busy running a business. But you’ll be better at what you do if you regularly take time to get outside, to learn something new, and to do something creative such as drawing, singing or dancing.

“When you go out in the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands, and stick together” is one of the core lessons in the book, and it is a universal reminder that we are part of a global community. While being constantly concerned about the many challenges we face, we can benefit from the reassurance that we can survive them by helping and supporting each other. Think about ways you can apply this concept to your interactions with you staff, your customers, your community, your sales reps and your vendors.

Perhaps we shouldn’t dismiss the first lesson I mentioned. As Fulghum once said, “Think what a better world it would be if we all—the whole world—had cookies and milk about three o’clock every afternoon and then lay down with our blankies for a nap.”

Happy Retailing,


Carol “Orange” Schroeder